Clay House, Soyland

The sketch and description were originally published in The Halifax Courier in 1912-1913. A long, straggling and many-gabled block of buildings, crumbling rapidly to decay. The sketch represents the courtyard in the centre of the ancient pile. Over the entrance of the double decker porch is the inscription ‘SC, 1662’, the C according to some being the initial for Crossley, while others hold that it stands for Clay. The inner door is of oak, heavily studded with iron and this has one of the old types of oak bars – a block about four inches thick which was inserted into the wall to hold the door fast. Owing to its dilapidated condition only a portion of the premises is now occupied, the central part which is the farmhouse and a cottage adjoining. PH/28.